As family members and friends of the Tucson shooting victims lay their loved ones to rest the country contemplates the return of their normal everyday lives. Members of Congress will return to the floor to pick up where they left off armed hopefully with a new sense of civility and co-operation in the wake of the past week’s events. One wonders how long this atmosphere of bi-partisanship will last for the members will surely be tested quite soon.
There is nothing that stirs the hearts and souls of conservative minded individuals like a rousing discussion about gun control. The subject was already being discussed across the nation’s airways even as memorial services were held in Tucson. This subject alone will test the fabric of civil discourse.
In the wake of last week’s shootings liberals have already started calling for more restrictions on firearms. Conservatives respond that if more people had been armed last Saturday the shooter would have been stopped before causing such carnage. Democrats are proposing a ban on the “extended magazine” that allowed Jared Loughner to fire thirty one rounds before reloading. Republicans are offering a bill that allows elected leaders permission to carry their weapons onto the House floor. Some even want to “require” House members to carry a firearm.
This is a debate that has raged for years and one that seems to begin anew whenever a violent tragedy occurs. It will be interesting to see how it plays out this time; and to see if our leaders were serious about their pledge to be more civil to one another.
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